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Geography

Online Activities, Games, Animations & Quizzes for Geography

Alpha Maps
A mashup of Google Maps & Wolfram Alpha. Search a world map for a city or location and the map will provide computational data from Wolfram Alpha for that particular location.

FreePoverty.com
This geography game allows participants to donate water to people who live in extreme poverty. The game presents a city or landmark, and you have a short amount of time (5 to 10 seconds) to locate it on a map.

Immigration Explorer
This New York Times interactive timeline/map shows how immigrants settled in the U.S. over time.

Shock-ing Geography
Shocking Geography is an interactive outline map site created by Daniel J. Pfeifer of Wake Forest University. Students can quiz themselves on physical, current political, and historical map information. Historical maps include Europe 1763, Europe 1815, Europe 1914, and World 1800, though physical and current political maps cover most of the world. Instructors can have results of student self-quizzes emailed to them. Requires Shockwave software.

Crisis in Darfur (Google Earth)
“Crisis in Darfur” is an impressive, interactive Google Earth file from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as part of their “Mapping Initiatives.” Students can view images of burned-out Darfur villages and gain a deeper understanding of the destruction as a result of the civil strife in the area. The Google Earth file could serve as a useful introduction to the crisis in Darfur and lead to in-depth analysis of its effects and ramifications. Other USHMM Google Earth files include Genocide Prevention Mapping and Mapping the Holocaust.

Calisphere
As part of a project to digitize California artifacts, five Google Maps have been created to showcase digitized historical photographs.

Conflict History
This is a timeline and Google Map of world conflicts from 3000 BC to the 1970’s.

Social Explorer
Reports and interactive maps on census data from 1790 to 2000. Interactive maps allow you to choose a time period and demographic feature to look at. You can zoom in on any area or request a corresponding report on the specific information you request. Free maps are mainly of population, race, and religion, but a premium subscription allows access to many more maps. The “News and Announcements” section also offers some interesting special demographic reports. A great resource.

Geospatial and Statistical Data Center at the University of Virginia
Provided by the University of Virginia, the Geospatial and Statistical Data Center provides an easy to use Historical Census Browser and also has nation-wide data. The Virginia Gazeteer provides impressive spatial/geographic data and maps from Virginia. Web site also has a collection on Virginia Elections and links to other collections, many of which can be accessed by the public.

Google Earth Learn Google Earth Learn is a very clever self-paced quiz game designed to familiarize the user with the features and tools of Google Earth. With each level, the user is taught a new feature about navigating Google Earth, with a mini-quiz in order to move onto the next level. Instead of a tutorial, this quiz-game format is very approachable to those of all ages, and highlights many interesting tools that Google Earth has to offer (such as exploring the ocean, looking at satellite images from the past, etc.). It is fast, but allows users to play the game at their own pace, thus making it a great tool for anyone looking to learn more about Google Earth.

Teaching with GIS in the GeoSciences
Created by Brian Welch, Dept. of Environmental Studies, at St. Olaf College, in Northfield, MN, this section serves as an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Education. There are also Teaching with Google Earth and Teaching with GPS. This section is part of Starting Point – Teaching Entry Level Geoscience from the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.

Historypin
Users can overlay (mainly historical) photographs on top of Google Maps Street View and add their own story.

Quia
Quia is a quiz and game creation service that has assorted links to geography quizzes and games. Quia also makes it easy for teachers to create their own quizzes. Go to “Quia Web” and find Geography in “topics.”